OCTOBER,1946 319 soldiers.Weheardonlyawildscreamandthreeshots,and thentherewassilence.TheCommissarhadshotthesoldier withoutamoment'shesitation.Hecamesmilingandpeace- fulybackintothecourt,andasifhehadhadonlyanamusingexperience,stuckhispistolbackintohisbeltandordered threeGermanstohaulthedeadmanoutoftheapartment. TheCommissartooktheman'spapers,andthenwehadto buryhim:thisfinishedthebusiness.* Thesamesortofthingwentonforthenext8days,only thefightingmovedcontinuouslytowardthewest.Itwassaid thattheKurfurstendammwasnowthecenteroffighting.t Afterbeingclosedupfor8daysIcouldn'tstanditanymore, andwentoutalittlewayonthestreetwithmyfather.Oh, whatapictureofdevastation!NeverinmylifehadI believeditpossiblethatabigcitycouldlooksoshateredand miserable.Mostofthetreeshadbeenchoppedoffortornup bytheroots,andlaysprawlingacrossthestreet,thetroley- wireweresnappedandhunginzigzags,thepavementswere tornup,greatchunksofstoneworkfromthehouseswere lyingallovertheplace,theblindshungsadlyoutofthewindowsofhalf-wreckedorburned-outhouses.Hereandthere stoodwreckedautos,smashedbicycles,andshot-upstreet carsandarmoredvehicles.Artilleryofallkindsandcalibers hadendedtheirmoreorlessvictoriousjourneyhere.And everywherewerethenewlyduggravesofGermanandRus- siansoldiers. Whatshockedmethemostweretheoficers'decorations, whichhadbeenthrownaway,andwerelyingaroundonthe streetironcrossesandotherkindsofmedals. Afteranotherweekthefirstbreadwasavailable;one-half aloafpercapitafortheweek.Togetityouhadtostandin linefrom6 inthemorningtill10atnight.Halfaloaf seemsnowsolittle,butthenitwasalot,andonecameout ofthestorelikealittlekingwhenonehadone'shalf-loaf finalyinone'shand. Nowfinallythewomenalsodaredtogooutonthestreets, buttheydidnotmakeaprettypicture.Thoughweallooked miserableandhaggardalready,wemadeourselvesasmuch uglieraspossible.EventheRussiansmusthavehadtoadmit thatneverintheirliveshadtheyseensomanyhoriblewomen asinBerlin! NowIalowedmyselftogofurtherinthecity,andwas eagertofindanyacquaintancesandfindoutwhetherand howtheyhadsurvived.Butitwashardlyanyuse,forthe picturewasthesameeverywhere.Destructioneverywhere, anddeadRussianandGermansoldierslyingallaround.Hard- lyapersonbotheredaboutthemorthoughttoburythem. Themostpeoplewoulddowouldbetoshiftthemovertothe curb,orcarrythemintothenearbyparks. Isawmorethan onceRussianautosrolingoverthedeadbodies,withoutthe leastatention,squashingthemflat.Therewasnotevenan oficetosendoutdeathnotices.t *"WhentheRedArmystartsabigofensive,itscommandersholdout prospectsofunrestrictedrapeandpilageasencouragementtothetroops, butlatertheytrytostemthetideoflust—notonthegroundsofhumanity butbecauseitthreatenstounderminediscipline."(B. J.Kospoth,correspondentwiththeRussiantroopsintheinvasionofGermany,inthe WashingtonTimes-Herald,August5,1945.) tTheKurfurstendammisontheaverageonly4kilometersfromthe Schonebergstation,whichshowswhataslowprocessitwasfortheRussiansto"mopup." TheAliedControlCouncildidlatersetupsuchanofice,whichhas nowcompletedthejobofsendingoutdeathnoticesinallcaseswhere BtbItotcaiehlotBirimilto Conter-Atack IN TaylorCounty,Georgia,fourwhitemencaledMacie Snipes,colored,outofhishouseandshothimtodeath. Itwasthedayafterthestateprimaries,inwhichMacie SnpieshadbeentheonlyNegrointhedistricttovote.The coroners' verdict:self-defense. . . InHolmesCounty,Missis- sippi,fivewhitefarmersfloggedtodeathLeonMcAtee,a coloredfarmhandsuspectedofhavingstolenasaddle. It turnedoutlaterthatsomeoneelsehadstolenthesaddle. . . InWaltonCounty,Georgia,sometwentywhitemenstopped acaronabackroad,draggedoutof ittwoyoungNegro couples,theMalcolmsandtheDorseys,andshotthemdown bytheroadside.Theywere"lookingfor"onlyoneofthe four:RogerMalcolm,a 27-year-oldfarmhandwhohad woundedhiswhiteemployerinafight.Theotherthree,includingthetwoyoungwives,werekiledtopreventthem identifyingthemoblater.Noarestshavebeenmade. Thesewerethreeofthefivelynchingswhichtookplacein theSouththisJulyandAugust.Inthosetwomonthsalmost halfasmanylynchingsoccuredaswerecommitedinthe wholefive-yearperiod,1941through1945."Thedeclinein lynchingsduringthewarandthecurrentsharpupsurgeare bothrelatedtotheconsiderablewartimeimprovementinthe Negro'ssocialstatus.WhitepressuretokeeptheNegrodown wasrelaxedpartlybecausehewasneededforwarwork,partly becausetheideologyofawaralegedlyagainstNazismmade racialdiscriminationabitawkward.Onhispart,theNegro acquiredamoreconfident,self-respectingandevenattimes aggressiveattitude.Someadvancesweremade:theFEPCmitigatedracialdiscriminationinjobs,thoughitssignificancewas moresymbolicthanpractical;polltaxeshavebeenabolished inseveralSouthernstates;certainstates,nbtablyNewYork andCalifornia(underRepublicangovernors),havepassed anti-discriminationlaws;theSupremeCourtlastyearout- lawedthe"white"primaryintheSouth,andtheFederal GovernmenthastosomeextentenforcedtherightofNegroes tovoteinSouthernprimaries.Othergainswhichhavenot benmadesofarseemlikelytocomesoon:thusonlythe obstructivetacticsoftheSouthernblocpreventedlegislation againstlynchingandforapermanentFEPCgoingthrough thelasttwoCongressesbybigmajorities. 1. Theoutburstoflynchingsthusappearstobeacounter- atackbythewhiteSouth,adesperateatempttoputthe Negroback"inhisplace"beforeitistoolate.Theyallcame withinafewweeksofanevenmoresignificantcounteratack—andwereundoubtedlystimulatedbyitssuccess namely,thevictoryintheDemocraticprimariesofthreenotorious"WhiteSupremacy"demagogues.(SincetheSouth, *AboutthesametimeasLeonMcAteewasbeingwhippedtodeathfor thetheftofasaddlehedidn'tsteal,inanotherMississippicountyanother coloredman,BuddyWolf,fatheroften,waskilledinalunchroomby awhitedeputysheriffwho"thoughtheheardsomeonemakeaderogatory remark."Thiskillingisnotcountedasalynching,however,sinceitwas anattackbyasinglewhitemanonaNegro. Ifsuchkillingsbywhite individualswereincludedinthelynchingstatistics,thetotalswouldbe horrifyingeveninrelatively"good"periods.
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